


Karaoke to the Max

by ladylillianrose



Category: Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (TV)
Genre: Drunk max, F/M, Karaoke, Leif Helps Max, Post Bar Scene 1x11
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:20:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24922210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladylillianrose/pseuds/ladylillianrose
Summary: What if Leif wasn't the only one doing karaoke in episode 1x11?
Relationships: Zoey Clarke/Max Richman
Comments: 19
Kudos: 53





	Karaoke to the Max

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I've had this little one-shot rolling around in my head since episode 1x11. I couldn't resist writing drunk Max doing karaoke!
> 
> Thank you as always to my beta extraordinaire aubreyrichman
> 
> The song is "Truly Madly Deeply" by Savage Garden (Listen to it here https://youtu.be/WQnAxOQxQIU)

* * *

It was late and Zoey was relieved to be home after the awkwardness at the bar with Max. Her phone pinged with a message. The only person who texted her this late had made his feelings abundantly clear with his heart-song.

It was from Max, she raised her eyebrows in confusion as she opened the message.

**_Zoey, it's Leif. I have Max's phone because, well, frankly he's not in the best mindset at the moment. It's easier to just show you._ **

There was a video attached, curiously she hit play. 

"Next up we have Max! Come on up, Max!"

Zoey watched in fascination as Max made his way to the stage and grabbed the microphone stand. She could tell by his body language that he was more than a little drunk. He smirked at the camera and pointed, "This one's for you, Zo!"

Zoey could feel her cheeks flushing even though she knew he couldn't see her.

_I'll be your dream, I'll be your wish, I'll be your fantasy._

_I'll be your hope, I'll be your love, be everything that you need._

_I love you more with every breath, truly madly deeply do_

_I will be strong, I will be faithful 'cause I'm counting on a new beginning._

_A reason for living. A deeper meaning._

Zoey sat enraptured by his song, so different from what his heart-song had told her. Unlike Leif's earlier performance, there was no cringing as Max poured his heart out. She saw a few women at a nearby table sending him appreciative looks.

_I want to stand with you on a mountain._

_I want to bathe with you in the sea._

_I want to lay like this forever._

_Until the sky falls down on me_

_And when the stars are shining brightly in the velvet sky,_

_I'll make a wish send it to heaven then make you want to cry_

_The tears of joy for all the pleasure and the certainty._

_That we're surrounded by the comfort and protection of_

_The highest power, in lonely hours, the tears devour you_

_I want to stand with you on a mountain,_

_I want to bathe with you in the sea._

_I want to lay like this forever,_

_Until the sky falls down on me_

Max left the stage to applause and the video ended.

Her phone pinged with another message from Leif.

**_I don't know what happened with you two, but he's clearly broken up about it. You may want to get down here._ **

Zoey sighed before changing out of her PJs and into a pair of leggings and a hoodie. If she was going to deal with drunk Max, she was going to be comfortable dammit.

She made her way back to the bar and walked inside. She spotted Leif at the bar and walked over to him.

"Where is he?" she asked.

Leif turned around, "You came! He's in the bathroom."

Zoey nodded, "How drunk is he?"

He cringed, "I sort of lost count after the third whiskey sour."

Great, that meant Max was pretty far gone then.

"Well, now that you're here I'm gonna head out," Leif said moving towards the door.

Zoey grabbed his sleeve, turning him to face her. "What do you mean you're heading out?" she hissed.

"It means Max tried to help me out tonight, so I'm returning the favor," he explained matter of factly.

Zoey narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, "I still don't trust you."

"And yet, here you are," Leif removed her hand from his sleeve and walked out of the bar.

Zoey sighed, ordered two glasses of water, and took a seat to wait for Max.

She didn't have to wait long, she saw Max weaving his way through people to get to the bar. 

He raised his hand to signal to the for another drink when Zoey put her hand on his shoulder, sending a discrete head shake to the bartender.

Max turned and looked at her in surprise, "Zoey?! I thought you left? Why are your clothes different?"

Zoey handed him one of the waters as he took a seat next to her. "Drink that. Leif texted me and told me you might need my help."

"Pffftt, Leif. What does he know? You know, he's still in love with Joan?" Max whispered the last part to her as though it were a secret.

"Umm yeah, caught that with his performance earlier," Zoey cringed.

"Oh...right…." Max looked confused. "But we're mad at each other, so why would you even come?"

She sighed, "Because you're still my best friend, Max. Even if you're mad at me, I'll still show up when you need me. That's what friends do."

"Right….friends," Max said bitterly as he drank his water.

Zoey winced, she knew they needed to talk about everything, but Max was in no condition to hear what she had to say.

She handed him the other water, "Finish this, and let's get you home."

Max rolled his eyes, "You're not the boss of me anymore….in fact, I'm a boss now, so you can't tell me what to do."

She blew out an exasperated breath, she forgot how stubborn and childish Max could get when he was drunk. "Fine, don't drink it, have a terrible hangover in the morning. But we are leaving," she told him firmly.

He glared at her before drinking half the glass and then standing up.

Zoey sighed in relief, watching carefully as Max attempted to make his way to the door. Grabbing his arm she guided him through the crowd and out to wait for their ride.

Max leaned against the wall watching as Zoey kept an eye out for the car.

"You're beautiful," he said grinning lopsidedly at her.

Zoey felt herself blush, "And you're drunk."

"Doesn't mean I'm not right," he argued. "You're smart and funny, and beautiful, and adorable," he rambled.

"Rides here!" she cried out in relief.

Grabbing his hand, she pulled him towards the car and maneuvered him inside.

Once they were settled, Max leaned over and placed his head on her shoulder. "Thanks for coming, Zo," he murmured.

Zoey sat quietly unable to respond, enjoying the feeling of him leaning on her. She had leaned on him so many times before, it felt nice for their roles to be reversed for once.

They arrived at his apartment, and Max managed to stumble through the door before collapsing on the couch.

Zoey grabbed some ibuprofen and a bottle of water and set them next to Max's bed. She walked out into the living room, "Come on, time for bed."

Max nodded and walked towards his bedroom with Zoey trailing behind.

"Okay, I put some water and pills right here for you to have in the morning. And...eeep!" Zoey turned around and was faced with Max standing there in nothing but his boxers.

She couldn't stop staring as her eyes raked over his body. Sure, she had seen him without a shirt, an image she had revisited over and over again in her head. But that was nothing compared to this. She cleared her throat and averted her eyes flushing.

"Anyway, I guess I'll just be going," she headed towards the door but was stopped by Max's hand on her wrist.

"Stay with me?" he asked.

Zoey bit her lip, "Max, I don't think that's a great idea…."

"Please?"

She sighed, "Fine, but you have to put a shirt on, and I'll need to borrow one too."

She reached into his dresser and grabbed them both t-shirts. She headed to the bathroom and pulled on his shirt. She'd just have to wear her leggings to bed, at least they weren't jeans.

She walked back into the bedroom and found Max already in bed, waiting for her.

She got in on her side of the bed and smiled at him, "Goodnight, Max."

"Goodnight, Zoey," he yawned, reaching over to turn off the light.

Zoey lay there, waiting for him to fall asleep so she could slip out and sleep on the sofa. As she listened to his breathing, she felt herself drifting off, falling into a restful sleep for what seemed to be the first time in months.

* * *

Max woke up to his head pounding and his mouth feeling drier than a desert. He saw the water and pills and gratefully swallowed them. Glancing down, he realized he was wearing a t-shirt which was unusual since he didn't normally sleep in one. The bed shifted slightly and he glanced to his side, he did a double-take as he realized that Zoey was in bed next to him.

How had she gotten there? Actually, how had he gotten home last night? He remembered seeing Zoey at the bar, Leif's embarrassing karaoke song for Joan, and then Zoey and Joan left. He and Leif had a few drinks and talked some more but the rest of the night was pretty fuzzy, though he remembered something about Savage Garden?

Shaking his head, he grabbed his phone, quietly got out of bed, and headed out to the living room.

Sitting on the couch, he began scrolling through his messages looking for clues as to why Zoey would be here. He noticed that Zoey was the last person he had texted, which was odd because he definitely hadn't texted her since their argument. Clicking on the message, he saw that it was Leif who had reached out to Zoey on his behalf. 

Max sighed. That meant Zoey had come to help him get home since he was drunk. Who knows what he said or did last night.

Spotting a video file that Leif had apparently sent her, he opened it. He watched himself make his way to the stage, dedicate the song to Zoey, and then sing "Truly Madly Deeply."

Max groaned in embarrassment, looks like Leif wasn't the only one performing karaoke love confessions last night.

"It was quite the performance, I'm sorry I missed seeing it live," he heard Zoey say from behind him.

He turned to look at her and saw that she was wearing one of his old t-shirts over a pair of leggings. Her hair was a mess and she still looked tired but he had never seen anything so gorgeous in his life.

Zoey played with the hem of the shirt, "I had to borrow this to sleep in. Hope you don't mind."

Max swallowed and shook his head. Of course, he didn't mind. In fact, if she only ever wanted to wear his clothes, that would be fine with him. _But aren't you still mad at her?_ His traitorous brain supplied.

Clearing his throat, he looked at her, "Why did you come last night?"

Zoey took a seat on the couch next to him, "Because even though you're pissed at me, you're still my friend and I care about you."

"Why stay though? You got me home okay, there was no reason to stick around."

Zoey sighed, "You asked me to."

Max scoffed, of course, he had asked her to stay, he was mad at her but that didn't mean he wasn't still in love with her.

"And because I wanted to."

He looked up at her questioningly.

"You need to know that I didn't mean anything I said that day at the office. I was hurt and upset so I lashed out at you, which you didn't deserve."

Max looked at her in surprise. "Zoey, I…"

She held a finger to his lips, "You are an amazing programmer, a wonderful person, and the least selfish man I know. I was upset because I knew that things would change with you moving to the sixth floor, and we all know how well I react to change," she said with a wry chuckle.

"But it made me realize how much I missed you. How I need more Max in my life," she said smiling at him.

Max felt his heart beat faster, was she saying what he thought she was saying?

Zoey looked at him, waiting for his response.

"Do you mean that?" Max whispered. 

She nodded, smiling at him as she leaned forward and brushed her lips against his.

Max reached up to cup her face, pulling her closer to him as he lost himself in the taste and feel of Zoey's lips.

They pulled apart after a few minutes, panting in an attempt to catch their breath as they grinned at one another.

Max went to lean forward, for another kiss but stopped, "Wait...does this mean that I have to be nice to Leif?"

Zoey rolled her eyes, "Really, you're thinking about Leif right now?"

"Hey, he's not a guy I want to have to owe a favor to," Max responded.

"Fair. No, he said something about how he owed you for helping him out, so now you're even."

"Okay, good. I'm not sure I even know how to be nice to him," Max rambled.

"Max, stop talking," Zoey said and pulled him into another kiss. 


End file.
